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Funnel cloud photographed just west of Kenmare

It’s amazing how fast social media can work in an emergency. Within minutes residents of a local farmstead were warned of an approaching funnel cloud after their daughter saw photos of it on Facebook.

6/23/15 (Tue)

Reaching down . . . A funnel cloud spotted and photographed by April Helwig just to the west of the Greg and Lea Ankenbauer farm west of Kenmare Sunday afternoon apparently didn’t touch down or cause any damage. Lea Ankenbauer said the funnel moved and dissipated quickly.

By Marvin Baker

It’s amazing how fast social media can work in an emergency. Within minutes residents of a local farmstead were warned of an approaching funnel cloud after their daughter saw photos of it on Facebook.

Lea Ankenbauer said she was unaware that a funnel cloud was looming just to the west of her farm at approximately 4 p.m., Sunday afternoon.

Her husband Greg had just gotten home as it started to rain but didn’t notice any clouds as dangerous as a funnel approaching from the northwest.

April Helwig got off work from the Kenmare Super Valu store at 4 p.m. As she left work, she noticed the dark clouds, took a closer look and saw the funnel cloud west of the Ankenbauer farm.

She snapped some pictures at 4:05 with her mobile phone and posted them to Facebook.

Ankenbauer’s daughter saw the photos and immediately called home and asked her parents to go to the basement.

By that time, the Ankenbauers took another look and the funnel had dissipated.